From Ellen to G Kenworthy: A history of gay kiss on TV

Contents:

• LGBT REPRENTATN ON TV THROUGH THE AG – OM EASTENRS’ FIRST GAY KISS TO TRANSGENR SUPERHERO
• SIZZLG ! 20 YEARS AGO, THIS GAY KISS MA TV HISTORY: WATCH
• FROM ELLEN TO G KENWORTHY: A HISTORY OF GAY KISS ON TV
• GROUNDBREAKG ON-SCREEN GAY KISS THROUGH HISTORY
• ‘RIVERDALE’ STAR KERR SMH ON TV’S FIRST GAY KISS: ‘IT WAS TENSE’
• WATCH: 'THE FOSTERS' FEATUR YOUNGT GAY KISS IN TV HISTORY

LGBT REPRENTATN ON TV THROUGH THE AG – OM EASTENRS’ FIRST GAY KISS TO TRANSGENR SUPERHERO

While we may now take for granted the prence of queer figureheads on TV, ls than 30 years ago the mere prence of someone intifyg as gay uld send viewers to a tailsp, pecially as beg gay – or gay marriage – was illegal. For ’s Pri Week, we’ve looked back through the years of LGBT relatnships on TV, celebratg landmark moments and trailblazg shownners who fied the odds to get the sential scen on air while startg to break down homophobia and transphobia the procs.

Col Rsell and Guido Smh aired the first lip-to-lip kiss on Eastenrs (Picture: BBC)In 1989, the first lip-to-lip gay kiss aired on Brish TV urty of Eastenrs. It happened between Col Rsell (Michael Cashman) and his romantic other half Guido Smh (Nicholas Donovan) – after years of character Col beg out and gay on the seri.

The first lbian kiss beme so inic aired as part of the 2012 Olympic ceremony (Picture: Channel 4)Brooksi’s 1994 lbian kiss between Beth (Anna Friel) and Margaret (Nila Stephenson) is often ced as the first UK gay kiss, but unfortunately they were five years late. The moment was so inic, even managed to land a place a montage for the2012 London Olympic Openg Ceremony – airg across the world cludg untri where homosexualy was illegal. In 1994, realy TV show The Real World: San Francis broke some ser ground whout even meang to when gay uple Sean Sasser and Pedro Zamora held a mment ceremony to each other live on air.

SIZZLG ! 20 YEARS AGO, THIS GAY KISS MA TV HISTORY: WATCH

It’s one of the most fg moments of the late 90s – Ellen Degener g out as gay, first as a character on her show, and then publicly shortly after. Starrg Aidan Gillan, Charlie Hunnam and Craig Kelly – Queer As Folk beme groundbreakg telly part to s no-holds-barred look at life and sex on the Manchter gay scene.

Lnched by Rsell T Davi, Queer as Folk aired at a turng pot time for homosexualy and acceptance, wh the ernment that same year lowerg the age of nsent for gay sex down to 16, the same as heterosexual sex. While there was fely some problematic elements to the show, still showed beg gay a much more well-round, ls stereotypil light than before, and was one of the first major seri to lead off three gay characters.

FROM ELLEN TO G KENWORTHY: A HISTORY OF GAY KISS ON TV

First havg a heterosexual relatnship wh Oz (Seth Green), Willow veloped feelgs and relatnship wh young wch Tara (Amber Benson), before g out as gay to her iends. They later went on to get married and adopt a send child, but this was the first time on a major s that the ncept of adoptn, and raisg a fay a gay hoehold, was tly displayed at length. Batwoman ught the attentn of fans everywhere when was nfirmed that actrs Ruby Rose will be playg the superhero – and she will be playg her as openly gay.

GROUNDBREAKG ON-SCREEN GAY KISS THROUGH HISTORY

In April 2019, rerd label drama Empire aired the first ever gay black weddg on work TV, wh Jamal Lyons (Jsie Smollett) tyg the knot to Kai Givens (Toby Onwumere). 18), but he did sre a solid-gold moment when he gave his boyiend, Matt Wilkas, a quick kiss at the bottom of the embrace was ught live on TV by NBC as part of their Olympic footage, quickly went viral — and proved to be a tone for a young man who, as a youngster, never “dreamed of seeg a gay kiss on TV at the Olympics.

— G Kenworthy (@gkenworthy) Febary 19, 2018Although perhaps the first gay kiss televised om the Olympics, Kenworthy and Wilkas’s smooch is not the only same-sex one that’s been showsed on TV.

‘RIVERDALE’ STAR KERR SMH ON TV’S FIRST GAY KISS: ‘IT WAS TENSE’

Roseanne, 1994Roseanne Barr never shied away om ntroversial topics her h seri, and addrsed gay issu several tim on the show over the years. The work, ABC, noted that viewers by and large reacted favorably, fdg the episo Real World, 1994The late Sean Sasser and Pedro Zamora were one of TV’s landmark gay upl, wh their relatnship beg explored on MTV’s h realy seri. The closens between actors Alyson Hannigan and Amber Benson unfold gradually, wh a natural-feelg kiss occurrg durg an emotnal scene the fifth Vio Mic Awards, 2003Although neher Madonna nor Brney Spears intify as gay, their surprise, attentn-grabbg kiss at the 2003 VMAs stantly was hailed as a fantastilly outrageo moment, and beme one of the most inic imag awards show history.

Poor Christa Aguilera is largely left out of this entire scenar, but her part should not be Amerin Mic Awards, 2009Unlike Brney and Madonna, Amerin Idol alum Adam Lambert do 100% intify as gay, and he spiced up the 2009 AMAs by layg an open-mouthed kiss on a male dancer durg his performance of “For Your Entertament” at the AMAs. It was ed very entertag, but ed Good Morng Ameri to ncel his appearance on their show the followg Fosters, 2015ABC Fay’s The Fosters, a show focg on the story of a lbian uple and their fay of blogil and fostered children, ma TV history by showg two 13-year-old male characters the youngt-ever gay kiss on screen. The first same-sex Hallmark kiss ever was featured the 2020 holiday movie The Christmas Hoe, which starred Mean Girls alum Jonathan Bent and -star Brad Harr as a gay uple.

Televison shows like How to Get Away wh Murr, Empire, Fakg It, and Morn Fay are workg diligently toward normalizg the display of gay affectn.

WATCH: 'THE FOSTERS' FEATUR YOUNGT GAY KISS IN TV HISTORY

Although this was not the first lbian kiss on the show, was the first not done to thwart creepy men htg on Warrr Prcs Durg the 1990s and 2000s, viewers excedly watched actrs Lucy Lawls (Xena) and Renee O'Connor (Gabrielle) lock lips on several ocsns, all while wonrg if the two were gay or not. However, a recent episo ma headl for featurg TV's youngt gay kiss history: It occurred between teenage characters Ju and & Grace Classic edy Will & Grace had dienc cheerg durg a 2000 episo when Will and Jack locked lips.

Brothers & Sisters In the first season of ABC drama Brothers & Sisters, gay character Kev (Matthew Rhys) locked lips wh Stty (Le Macfarlane) 2006.

Wh that over wh, now there have been plenty of kiss sce and a same-sex weddg, of Our LivAlthough late to the party, NBC's Days of Our Liv aired s first gay kiss 2012, between Will (Chandler Massey) and Neil (Jse Kristofferson). LookgAs the HBO dramedy centered on gay men, had no shortage of same-sex kissg, but the kiss between protagonist Patrick (Jonathan Groff) and Kev (Rsell Tovey) had the extra forbidn air -- Kev was not only partnered, he was Patrick's is the New BlackWe uldn't have this list and not feature the impet for !